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Eighty years ago today, on May 3, 1933, the first four American Airlines stewardesses graduated from training and headed out on their first flight. (Published Friday, May 3, 2013)

Friday is a very special day for American Airlines. Eighty years ago today, on May 3, 1933, the first four American Airlines stewardesses graduated from training and headed out on their first flight.

Over the last 80 years things have changed quite a bit for stewardesses, now commonly referred to as flight attendants. The four original American Airlines stewardesses graduated after three days of training in 1933. In 1957 the airline opened the world's first school dedicated to the profession, the American Airlines Stewardess College. At graduation, a "flyover" was not uncommon as part of the celebration.

AA Flight Attendants Through the Years

Traveling the world has always been a glamorous profession. Fittingly, much of the evolution of the profession has had to do with the uniform; from the military look of the early years, to the cutting-edge style of Bill Blass’s uniforms in 1972.

They also broke down barriers by being one of the first airlines to hire black stewardesses. They were also the very first to carry AED’s on every single flight.

American said Friday it is excited to celebrate and honor the professionals who have been the face of the airline for the last eight decades, and for those to come.